Kojima: Metal Gear Solid 5 has "enormous volume"

Metal Gear Solid fans excited for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain may want to get comfortable. Series creator Hideo Kojima said in the latest issue of Famitsu (translated by SIliconera) that the size of the game's open world means the project won't be finished for some time.

"The Phantom Pain has enormous volume, so it will require much more time,” Kojima said.

The game's prologue, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, is being readied for a spring 2014 release on consoles. This installment is budget-priced and is meant to introduce players to the world of Metal Gear Solid V that will continue with The Phantom Pain.

Kojima admitted that it "would've actually been better" to release the game all at once instead of across two parts, but The Phantom Pain is simply not ready, despite various video demonstrations and the regular rollout of information about the game, he said.

“If I were to put it in Hollywood movie terms, the prologue, that is Ground Zeroes, would be similar to the first 10-15 minutes that are meant to ‘captivate’ [the audience],” Kojima said. “At first, something will happen, then the title will appear like 'bam!' and then nine years later, a big event will be the start [of Metal Gear Solid V]. That’s how the story will be connected.”

As for the game itself, Kojima explained that The Phantom Pain is set in an "immense open world," while Ground Zeroes is also open-world, but on a smaller scale.

Ground Zeroes will be available to download in spring 2014 on Xbox One or PlayStation 4, or in stores for current-generation consoles, for $30. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners will also be able to download the game for $20.